Unearned Compassion
Trouble and confusion would be good words to describe the later teen years of my life. I wondered, “How can you be surrounded by friends and still feel alone?” I know I was not the only teen trying to navigate those years. I was not the only child to grow up with a dysfunctional home led by a single mother. There are many who, out of no fault of their own, face these circumstances.
I met a couple who offered me a safe and nurturing home. I will never forget how Willy and Margaret Latham reached out to me in the midst of my struggles. Willy showed me how to live as a man. He walked in humility and wisdom. It was like a lifeline being tossed to me. Margaret was a woman of grace and was a stable support to me. I grew close to them and wanted this week just to talk to them. They both passed away many years ago. I could not give them anything that would come close to their investment in my life. I can only thank them and reflect on the unearned compassion they offered to me.